Digimon Adventure 03: Tapestry
by Jlgjt
Summary: Threads of the lives of the DigiDestined come together as new hope and joy come forth from the liberation of the Harmonious Ones... Part 5 now up!
1. Part 1: Illuminating Courage and Light

**JLGJT Productions Presents...**

**Digimon Adventure 03: Tapestry!**

**This journey, this adventure, is not traveled by one alone, but is a tapestry woven from many stories. Now, in this coming day of new hopes and new opportunities, the tapestry of the adventures of the DigiDestined continues to be woven...**

**Part 1: Illuminating Courage and Light**

Date: February 15, 2004

Time: 7:00 pm

Place: Just outside Kamiya apartment, Odaiba...

Kari Kamiya looked around nervously; she already knew she had been out later than she had planned, and what would her parents say if she had brought another Digimon home with her for no apparent good reason. He would only stay a night, otherwise her parents would flip. Being a boarding house for Digimon was certainly not in their plans, and she didn't want to give that impression.

Kari sighed wearily before knocking on the apartment door, making sure the two Digimon were behind her. Her mom opened the door, her expression a mixture of relief and irritation. "Oh good, you're home! We thought you were coming home with Tai, why didn't you call?" she asked.

"Sorry mom, T.K. and I got caught up in something after we left Oikawa's apartment, and by the time we got a chance to get dinner it was already late..." Kari modestly began to reply.

"Oh never mind the story. Tai's in his bedroom and Dad's on the couch watching a baseball game. I also need you and Tai to help me with a project for a few minutes, so when you two have a moment, just tell me all right?" Mom explained.

"Uh, sure Mom. Just let me get in the door first..."Kari stated, continuing her modest expression as she quickly dragged the black Agumon into the apartment and down the short hallway to Tai's room. As Gatomon followed them in, Mrs. Kamiya did a double-take in her daughter's direction, but she was already out of sight. Gatomon disappeared down the hallway too as the mother scratched her head in confusion.

Something didn't seem right, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She looked over at her husband, but he was blankly starring at the television screen and sipping from a soda can, unresponsive and unobservant. Curious, the mother then peaked down the hallway, but saw nothing, presumably because Kari had already entered into Tai's room. She turned back to the kitchen, still scratching her head. Maybe all this exposure to Digimon was making her see things...

* * *

"So wait? Run that by me again?" Tai was asking. Tai, Kari, Tai's partner Agumon, the black Agumon and Gatomon were all in Tai's room, door tightly shut. Kari was trying to explain to Tai where the black Agumon had come from, while the black Agumon and Tai's partner where looking each other over with curiosity and Gatomon just looked over the whole scene with a nervous smirk on her face.

"OK, so we were battling two intruders that represented programs Giman made or something like that with a whole bunch of Digimon as our allies, and coming with Gennai and Leomon is this little black Koromon, like a regular Koromon but colored black, you follow?" Kari began explaining at high speed.

"I guess..." Tai replied with a smirk. Kari usually didn't talk very much, and certainly not at a rapid pace, so it was a little hard for him to follow what she was saying or believe a word of it.

"All right, so these program avatars had used these glowing green crystals to knock out our Digimon and were just about to get us when Gennai used this fruit from one of the 'Trees of Light' growing in place of the Destiny Stones. Leomon eats it, instantly Warp-Digivolves to a Mega form even more powerful than SaberLeomon, and destroys the intruders. Enough of the energy released in the process is captured by the black Koromon to Digivolve it into the black Agumon!"

Tai scratched head, running his fingers through his "big hair" hairdo. Kari's story seemed a little out there, but since her eyes didn't seem to be lying to him he accepted it anyway. "So... what's it mean to me?" he finally responded weakly when Kari stopped talking.

"If we help the black Agumon get his memories back, it might mean one more ally for our side in the Digital World. And if this Digimon does ever become BlackWarGreymon again, he'll be working for us, not against us!"

"OK, that I get, but why'd you have to bring him here? Mom would flip if she finds out he's here!"

"Because he needed to see your partner. He remembers talking with him, and I thought it would be a good memory aid."

"All right, but if Mom finds out, I'm just going to stay that this was your idea, not mine!" Tai warned with a "good grief" look.

"Well, he's only staying one night, so it shouldn't be a problem if we're careful. Also, Mom wants us to help her with something, so we need to go help her as soon as possible."

"Oh good grief!" Tai exclaimed, throwing his arms down at his sides in exasperation. "What about the guest you invited, how are we gonna keep him from being discovered?"

"Let Agumon and Gatomon figure that out, Mom'll get upset if we don't do what she wants."

Tai sighed and said, "All right, it's probably some new recipe she'll want us to tastetest..."

"Well, Mom didn't say, so I'll guess we'll find out once we start it..." Kari replied, opening the room door a crack and peaking out. She could see down the other end of the hallway her mom, washing something in the sink.

"Anyone looking?" Tai asked.

"No. But we should be quick about it." Kari answered.

"All right, can you two think of someway to hide him in case mom or dad come peeking in here?" Tai turned and stated to the two partner Digimon. Their unsure looks didn't exactly hearten Tai, but he could do no better, particularly with the black Agumon now going around and observing everything in the room with rabid curiosity.

"Well, whatever you do, see what and how much he knows." Kari added. The black Agumon suddenly looked up at her with a hurt look, probably because he didn't like being talked about in such a manner. The other Digimon fidgeted nervously, and Kari, seeing the awkward situation she had placed herself in, quickly dragged Tai out of the room and closed the door behind her, leaving the three Digimon alone in the room.

* * *

The "regular" Agumon and Gatomon met in the center of the room, first looking at each other, then at the black Agumon, who was muttering something that the other Digimon couldn't make out as he peeked into one of Tai's dresser drawers.

"You sayin' something?" Gatomon asked, hoping to get a clear response from the black Agumon.

"No." the black Agumon curtly replied, not even looking up from his examination. He had talked very little after the battle, and then only a few words at a time. Both Gatomon and Tai's partner knew BlackWarGreymon hadn't been much for talking, and they figured the black Agumon that was his supposed reborn form would be no different. They needed a way to pry into his mind without turning to aggressive measures that would drive him away.

"Oh, well, Tai would not like you messing up his drawers, so maybe you could come over here and we could talk instead?" the Gatomon tentatively offered. The black Agumon looked back at Gatomon, paused to think, then looked over at his orange counterpart. Tai's partner gave an encouraging smile, and the black Agumon finally pushed the drawer shut and slowly walked over to the Gatomon.

"Here, let's sit on the bed, it's more comfortable than the floor." Gatomon continued, leading the two Agumon over to Tai's bed. She hopped onto the bed, then helped the other two up onto it. Quickly, the three Digimon were sitting on Tai's bed, the black Agumon between his orange counterpart and Gatomon.

What followed was an increasingly awkward minute of silence as none of the Digimon said a word, the black Agumon fidgeting uncomfortably in his place and the other two Digimon having increasingly doubtful expressions on their faces. Tai's partner Agumon could still see in the eyes of his black counterpart the same awkwardness, confusion, frustration and yearning for answers that had been in BlackWarGreymon, only now it was without the angst and pent-up power that had made the artificial Digimon such a "loose cannon" in the first place. This supposed reincarnation of him was simply lost, confused and shy about even himself.

"So... what do you want to talk about?" was Gatomon's very awkward attempt to break the silence, said only because she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"What is there to talk about?" the black Agumon replied blandly, staring down at his feet because he felt too embarrassed to stare at Gatomon or his orange counterpart.

"Well, it could be about what you remember."

The black Agumon gave a sidelong glance at Gatomon then sighed heavily. In a way, he both did and didn't want to talk about it. Finally he began speaking, reluctantly but carefully: "It's... it's only bits and pieces of something. I remember talking with you..."(pointing to his orange counterpart) "... and fighting against you and a couple others a number of times..." (pointing to Gatomon) "... but I just... its only flashes and bits of sound. In a way, I just existed, only wanting to fight but wondering if there was more to my existence than that. I had a lot of power, was uncontrollable. Eventually I thought I found the foe that defeating would give me the peace that I wanted, but he said that I was too look elsewhere. I keep searching, but what I had been told about my origins I couldn't escape from. Something kept pulling me back toward it, and it took every bit of energy I had just to run away from it. Eventually, I found what it was: the true source and origins of my fighting desires."

The black Agumon turned to face his orange counterpart before continuing: "You and two others offered me a way out. Somehow... it gave me what I needed to see it as it was: utterly evil and deceptive. I tried to prevent it from harming others... you were there and looked like what I had looked like... but I didn't know it meant that evil source would almost destroy me. At that moment, I thought I had found what I had been seeking, but then I lost it again. I was trapped in some kind of unstable limbo between this world and the Digital World after that, but something changed and I, or at least part of what I had been, escaped into the Digital World, and I think you could guess the rest. I mean... it's all mixed-up and uncertain in my mind, I don't even know if any of it is real or not."

Gatomon and the orange Agumon flashed knowing smiles. They knew "the rest of the story", but didn't feel the need to tell it, figuring it was better for the black Agumon to learn more about his previous self when he was ready to accept it for what it was.

"So... wait, you two actually believe my crazy story?" the black Agumon exclaimed with obvious surprise, the confession having loosened him up noticeably.

"Of course we do. You said yourself that we were witnesses to all the events you described." Gatomon replied with an obvious good-sense tone to her voice.

"But... does that mean you'll actually help me?"

"Why do you think Kari invited you over to see me? She wouldn't have done so if she didn't think seeing me would've helped." Tai's partner said to answer his black counterpart's question.

"Then... maybe you could tell me what I should do."

* * *

Both of the partner Digimon had to stop and think about what to say; this was something they had to get right the first time, because not doing so could jeopardize their gains so far.

"Well... it's not our job to tell you what you should do with your life, that's your decision alone, but maybe we could help you decide." Gatomon responded after a moment of silence.

The black Agumon continued his thinking for a moment, then said "I don't know, I... it seems like that... you have something I really want. You have a purpose in life, you have those that you protect. When I think about it, it's that kind of purpose I really want to have."

Tai's partner smiled with relief; they were slowly winning him over. "You mean, you want a human partner to protect? Is that what you want?" he replied.

"I guess. Or something to protect, something to give a purpose like that."

"Well, we don't know about a human partner, but I'm sure that when you go back, you can ask Gennai and maybe he can find you something." Tai's partner Agumon continued encouragingly.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

After a moment, the low-level tension that had been present seemed to dissipate and the black Agumon finally seemed to believe. A smile, the first either of the other two Digimon had yet seen, spread over the black Agumon's face. "Thank you." he finished with gratitude.

Tai's partner offered to shake hands with his black counterpart, and as the latter accepted and shook, smiles on the faces of both Agumon, Gatomon smiled too and breathed a small sigh of relief. This battle had been won, and they were well on the way to making this reborn former foe a solid ally.

* * *

Time: 7:20pm...

"Sounds like something is going on in your room, Tai. You sure everything's OK in there?" Mrs. Kamiya said, ear catching snatches of noise from behind the closed door of Tai's room.

Both Tai and Kari looked up from what they were doing and listened as well, concern having flashed across their faces. They both caught sounds of animated conversation and movement, probably from a game the Digimon were playing.

"Should we go check on them?" Tai asked her sister.

"Nah, they're fine. Something inside tells me everything is all right." Kari replied confidently through a smile.

Normally, Tai had good reason to at least be skeptical of his sister's claims, but this time his spirit agreed with her words. "Yeah, all right, we'll check on them later. They should be fine." he said, a smile slowly creeping across his face. He was happy, but he couldn't quite place why...

**The first threads in the tapestry are in place, but more stories are yet to be told and threads to be woven. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!**


	2. Part 2: Crystalline Mysteries

**More threads are laid out in the tapestry as the mystery of the captured crystals is investigated...**

**Part 2: Crystalline Mysteries**

Date: February 15, 2004

Time: 7:30 pm

Place: Izumi apartment, Izzy's room.

The atmosphere in the room was so thick with curiosity you could slice it with a knife. Both Izzy Izumi and Ken Ichijouji were in the room, each examining a glowing green crystal that had been captured in the Digital World earlier that day. Each crystal glowed a bright green color from within, casting an eerie glow on everything in the room.

Meanwhile, two Digimon, Tentomon and Wormmon, watched with silence from a corner of the room. Both of them (Wormmon in particular) knew better than to interrupt when their human partners were in deep thought, so with nothing better to do they just watched Izzy and Ken pace back and forth throughout the room, lost in their speculations.

Finally, Izzy spoke up: "I wouldn't know what it is, but I am certain it is not equivalent to anything on Earth."

"Well, I kinda thought that too, but I wish we knew more about it." Ken replied, not looking up from the crystal he was studying.

"I know that it seems to have its own chemistry and probably its own physics too."

Ken looked up at Izzy before replying with "What do you mean?"

Izzy sat down by his laptop and began typing on it while Ken peaked over his shoulder. "For starters, when the Digimon Analyzer looked it over all it gave me was that it was very energetic, which is hardly surprising considering that its glowing from inside."

"Yeah, so?"

"That green glow is too intense to simply be the refraction of the room's ambient lighting. Even if you considered fluorescence and phosphorescence, there's too much energy being emitted."

"Radioactive decay?"

"Already checked that. No readings and the crystal would probably be too hot to hold anyways."

"So what are you saying, that it generates its own energy?"

"It appears that way. The energy is too high to be explained by the standard relationship between energy and frequency, and something else is going on too. Watch my crystal."

Ken looked down at the crystal, then at Izzy's concentrating face, then at the crystal again. Suddenly it changed color from green to blue, then from blue to white. A second later, the brightness of the glowing light began to vary from almost nothing to blazing light.

"How did you get it to do that?" Ken exclaimed in astonishment.

"I willed it to be that way. I think these things work on will power, not on the standard laws of physics." Izzy concluded.

"You mean..." Ken began, before trying to will his own crystal to change to blue. It did, much to his surprise, then it changed to red when he willed that to happen too. Hastily he stuffed the crystal in the pocket, afraid to have it out in the open.

"Yes, these things have something to do with the dimension of dreams you fought MaloMyotismon in and possibly the Digital World itself."

"They won't harm us or the Digimon, will they?"

"Not if you don't will them too. But because they run on willpower, the fewer that know about them, the better."

"I agree, but I can't help but wonder what the effects on a Digimon would be..."

"Oh Ken, please not this again!" Wormmon exclaimed, suddenly frightened into a shivering green mass.

Izzy turned and looked over to the two Digimon in annoyance. "Haven't you been listening? It's only harmful if someone wills it to be."

"Well, I still don't want to be an experiment." Wormmon replied indignantly.

"And neither do I!" Tentomon added.

"Keep your exoskeletons on, will ya? Nothing's been set in stone yet, we're just trying to figure out what this stuff is." Izzy explained before turning back to the computer, trying not to act "huffy."

"But if we willed the crystals, we could use their energy to make the Digimon Digivolve, right?" Ken asked.

"I suppose. But the Digivices do that just as well, and more reliably than the crystals would. Remember, they act on willpower, so they're vulnerable to someone with a strong will. The best use for them I can see is how they were previously used: as defensive/offensive weapons. And even then, they would be at best a backup to our Digimon."

"But don't you want to be able to let the Digimon reach Ultimate again?" Ken pleaded.

* * *

Izzy stopped to consider his response. Ken's question had hit a nerve, and something he had debated himself since they got the crystals back to the human world: could they be used in place of the Crests, even if only temporarily? After a moment of hard consideration, he shook his head sadly.

"Ken, I'm afraid it just won't work. They wouldn't be reliable enough, nor do we even know if they would have enough energy. Even if you fed them to the Digimon, which I highly advise against, it wouldn't be good enough." Izzy frankly said, his practically suppressing whatever hope he had.

He took a sidelong glance at Ken's and Tentomon's disappointed moods. He knew that it wasn't what they wanted to hear, but also knew that giving them no hope was better than giving a false one. To soften the blow, he slowly added, "When the Harmonious Ones are released, the Crests will be returned to us. That was a promise, and they won't back out on it. Things will work out if we wait."

"But for how long Izzy? Giman could be building Digimon as we speak, can we afford to wait?" Ken rejoined.

"I believe that Champion-level Digimon are more than sufficient to keep Giman in check until we can recover Willis' data. The Ankokuwas are still too damaged to try to build Digimon anyways."

"I certainly hope that you're right, Izzy. 'Cause if not, we could be in dangerous trouble!" Ken replied in a harsher tone than he had intended, resulting in a numb and awkward silence settling over the room for the next minute.

Finally, Ken mumbled something about "what they would be like" under his breath.

"What who would be like?" Izzy asked, having caught part of Ken's mumbling.

"The other Harmonious Ones, once they've been released."

"Well, if what Jim and Yolei told of the Kyoto guardians is any indication, they would have very different personalities, a mixed bag. Which is why we'll have to be extra careful what we say and do tomorrow, because we don't know..."

"No, I meant about **me**. What do they know about **me**?"

Izzy sighed and replied with "Ken, you gotta stop beating yourself up over this. If they are mad at anyone, it'll be Oikawa. If you had nothing to do with their captivity, then you have nothing to atone for."

"Well true, but..." Ken began squeamishly.

"Why don't you trust me? Why don't you believe that everything will work itself out?" Izzy asked, a hurt look on his face and his voice uncharacteristically low in volume.

Ken looked over at Izzy's face, gave a loud sigh and sat down on the bed. He pulled the crystal from his pocket and began fingering it again. "I'm sorry. I guess its because of the long two days I've had." he finally apologized in a hushed tone.

"Hmm. Must be something to do with Oikawa on top of Davis's shenanigans yesterday."

Ken looked up in surprise and said, "How'd you guess?"

"I knew the moment you came over. Now would you relax and try to think about what is going to go right and not what could go wrong?"

"I'll try."

"Hey, no one said it was going to be easy, just that it had to be done. Now buck up and let's get ready for what tomorrow brings!" Izzy stated through a smile, giving Ken a brotherly slap on the back as Izzy sat down beside him.

Ken looked over at Izzy and smiled too. Of course he was right, of course things would work out, of course it had to be done. Tomorrow might not be a cakewalk, nor even easy if something went seriously wrong, but tomorrow had to be faced head-on or it would never come to pass.

Soon after that, Ken and Wormmon returned home, putting the crystal mysteries aside in preparation for what was to happen tomorrow...

**The second thread is in its place, but the tapestry is far from complete. Stay tuned for Part 3: "The Videotape"!**


	3. Part 3: The Videotape

**Part 3: The Videotape**

Date: February 15th, 2004

Time: 7:00pm

Place: Hida apartment, living room

Iori "Cody" Hida, his mom, his grandpa and Armadillomon were all in the living room, clustered around the TV. Cody was working the VCR containing the tape he had recovered from Oikawa's apartment, the one that said to play at 1:00:00 into the tape. His mom was holding a pen and notepad, while both his grandpa and Armadillomon looked on worriedly.

They had not mentioned the tape to the police because they were unsure what was recorded on it. If they found what they thought would be on the tape, either a "last will and testament" or a "suicide note" intending to lead police into think he had killed himself, Cody's mom would get a transcript of it and then surrender both it and the tape to police custody. If there was nothing, they would hide the tape away and not speak of it again.

"Everything's ready. It'll start just before the time in the note." Cody finally stated, a touch of grimness in his voice.

"Go ahead son. Play it for us." his mother replied, her voice choked up somewhat and her mouth dry. Cody pressed the play button on the VCR, then backed away to beside Armadillomon.

A scene from some kind of vampire movie began to play. Cody's grandpa watched with a mixture of worry and sadness while his mom began writing on her notepad. Suddenly the image flipped to that of Oikawa's apartment, a brightly lit kitchen shadowing Oikawa's smirking figure standing in the center. The date that appeared in the lower-left corner indicated he had recorded the video on December 30th, 2003, the day before the battle with MaloMyotismon that ultimately cost him his life. The black shadow that represented Myotismon's control of Oikawa's body seemed faintly visible around his figure, though no one could be sure it wasn't just a lighting illusion...

"Hello. If you are watching this video, it means I have succeeded in my dream of reaching the Digital World or died trying. I only wish I could bring Hiroki with me, but that I cannot help." Oikawa's voice resounded from the recording. "My possessions I must forsake, but my best friend's family has forsaken me and I will leave them nothing. As I have no living relatives, the police may do what they wish with these things of mine, for I do not need them anymore. Be aware that there are those who have opposed this dream; my friend's family is a part of this opposition. Do not help them stop me from fulfilling this dream! If they are watching this, you have been warned! Do not try to find me, do not try to stop me. Your previous attempts to stop this dream from coming true have failed, and they will continue to fail. Continued resistance will only lead to your destruction. Farewell... to you and to this world."

After Oikawa finished speaking, the video showed him going over to the camera and apparently turning off, then cutting to him holding up a magazine article with Ken's picture in it to the camera. Below the picture, in bright red capital letters, was written "REMEMBER HIM?"

Oikawa then held up a newspaper article concerning the kidnapped Spore Kids. Written on it in the same red capital letters was "THEY WILL BE LIKE HIM".

Oikawa next held up two pictures side-by-side, one of himself on the camera's left and one of Cody's family on the camera's right, the latter apparently taken shortly after Cody was born. The family picture showed both his dad and mom with the infant Cody cradled in his mom's arms. Above Oikawa's face in his picture was the bright red letters again, this time saying "DO NOT TRY TO STOP ME!" And finally, on the picture of Cody's family was the most horrifying use of the red paint yet: the large letters all but screamed "TRAITOR!" on the top of the picture, with an arrow pointing down from it toward the infant Cody's image, a large "X" painted over it. As he held the images, the still-wet paint began to drip down them, adding yet more horror to the images the family was viewing.

The camera then cut again, this time to a stern-faced Oikawa holding up to the camera a small sign with the large red letters on it, which read "YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!" Oikawa flipped the sign over, revealing more bright red writing which read "RESISTANCE WILL LEAD TO DESTRUCTION!" Then he picked up a tube containing a thick red liquid, which they guessed either was red paint or some kind of fake blood, and squirted it on the camera lens, quickly covering the lens and turning the entire screen red. After a few moments, the tape recorded the sound of something shattering on the floor (though those watching the video couldn't see what it was due to the red liquid on the lens) and then Oikawa chuckling evilly before the camera cut to black and then blue screens, the rest of the tape apparently having been erased.

* * *

The stunned silence that fell over the room was deafening in magnitude; even Armadillomon was reluctant to speak. Cody's mom slowly put down the notebook and pen, almost at the point of crying. She was the first to say a word: "Why? Why did he do this?"

"He must've recorded it after he destroyed BlackWarGreymon, while Myotismon's influence was still strong enough to make him willing to do it." Cody stated in a measured, reluctant rhythm, needed to help maintain his self-control.

"But that still doesn't explain why, Cody."

"It was to throw off the police, lead them down a false trail, confuse them." Cody's grandpa explained in a moment of clairvoyance. "He knew that they wouldn't understand the truth, so he deliberately laid a false trail for the police to follow. If they never found him, how would they know the truth wasn't what they saw?"

"I know, but it's just so... horrible!" Cody's mom exclaimed, taking a deep breath and wiping a tear from her eye afterward.

"I wouldn't have believed it either, until the moment Cody and I saw that shadow in his body. Both of us knew then that a great evil had been behind all that had occurred, and that the man called Yukio Oikawa was linked in some way to that evil. But I don't think anyone could've guessed beyond that, neither of us did."

"We just... never knew." Cody added to his grandfather's words, looking up at the picture of his dad in the family shrine as he spoke.

Cody's mom sniffled again and continued, speaking directly to Cody this time: "I know, I know, and I wished I hadn't known. When I married your dad and he was away doing his duty, he would always call me or send me a letter telling me a story about him and his friend and their adventures with creatures in video games, walking and talking with them like they were real. But he never told me what the friend's name was, and I just thought they were stories. I never took them seriously."

"No one would've taken them seriously." Cody's grandpa stated in consolation.

"You never told me you knew about dad's and Oikawa's encounters!" Cody exclaimed in surprise.

"I never thought it was important for you to know. I just believed they were good stories he made up to make me miss him less, nothing to get too excited about. And he stopped doing them after you were born. I never believed, and your grandpa never believed in them. He's probably already told you he just considered them flights of fantasy." Cody's mom answered.

"But... that's... why didn't you tell me after meeting Armadillomon for the first time?!" Cody exclaimed in an indignant tone, biting his lower lip to keep it from quivering.

His mom sighed and replied, "I suspected something, but I just wasn't sure. Neither me nor your grandpa were sure of anything."

* * *

Cody stood in the living room, breathing in loud gasps as he tried to press down the rising tide of emotion the video had stirred up in him. The implication of lack of trust in him kept rising in his mind faster than he could use his knowledge to shove it back down, and he began to shake, breaking out in a nervous sweat.

"Cody?" his mom asked as she and Cody's grandpa watched in concern.

"Cody, are you all right?" Armadillomon asked, approaching Cody's shaking figure. The latter slowly turned to face his partner, and suddenly reached down, beginning to squeeze the Digimon in a tight hug.

"Uh, I'm glad to help Cody, but I still wanna know what the matter is." Armadillomon responded. He could feel Cody still shaking, still breathing heavily in an effort to maintain control.

"Are you sick? Do we need a doctor?" Cody's grandpa asked, to which Cody responded by putting his hand forward and waving it in the classic "no need" symbol.

After a moment, Cody looked back up at his mom and grandpa, giving them something like a half-wince, then to Armadillomon with gratitude. He stood up and faced the smiling portrait of his father, lower lip trembling. He somberly moved over to the shrine and knelt before it. The others in the room followed and stayed a respectful distance back from Cody's kneeling figure.

Cody was shuddering, shaking all over, feeling totally inadequate for what fate made him to be. The shrine used to be one of his favorite places in the house, but for the past month and a half he had shied away from it, the picture now producing a painful mixture of pain and failure. Now, Cody felt no choice but to let it out.

His voice was barely audible, but his small shuddering form spoke volumes in its place: "I'm sorry, Dad! I'M SORRY!", words that summarized the feelings of the past month and a half.

At the New Year's Eve battle, Myotismon had taken his self-confidence and crushed it like an empty soda can, breaking his cat's cradle perceptions of the truth that resulted from the belief that he couldn't be wrong. Months and years of training were undone in those minutes soaked in horror, seeing his dreams abused and even his own life under threat.

The love and grace shown by the other DigiDestined over the past weeks prevented him from isolating from the others in despair, but it couldn't change the fact that he had let down everyone that loved him, that he got things not just wrong but horribly wrong. Not only had he held suspicion of Ken when it was completely unjustified, but what could have been his greatest moment in the salvation of Oikawa's life essentially slipped past him as Oikawa's body became a flock of butterflies.

Now, Cody could barely bring himself to look at the picture of his father, not just because it brought parts of MaloMyotismon's illusion back up in clarity he didn't want but also because it represented a standard, an ideal he had fallen far short of.

Cody's body continued to speak in the shaking and sobbing: "I couldn't... I didn't... I'm sorry! I've failed you, I'll never be good enough!" Armadillomon went over to Cody and was once again embraced tightly by the trembling boy, while Cody's mom and grandpa went over and patted Cody on the back.

They both looked up at the picture. Like a scar, this shock on Cody's self could heal but it would never completely go away. To rebuild would take a long time, but it was the only way back from an abyss of despair and inadequacy...


	4. Part 4: Ice Cream Social

**Part 4: Ice Cream Social**

Date: February 15th, 2004

Time: 8:00pm

Place: Takashi apartment, living room

The TV was blaring in the Takashi living room, the newsman announcing "Coming up next hour: Monsters of Odaiba – An Investigation!"

T.K. sighed and looked over at Patamon. "If only they could understand this for themselves." he thought sadly. He was already sick of all the speculation than had been running for the past month and a half, and he was about to turn the TV off when he heard someone knocking on the front door of the apartment.

"Weird, Mom said she would be working the night shift. Did she change her mind? Or did the boss tell her to go home?" T.K. asked himself as he got up to answer the door. Patamon, roused from a half-sleeping state by the knocking, looked over at the door curiously.

T.K. took a look in the door's peephole and made out long purple hair and something that looked like glasses. He opened the door to see Yolei, holding a bag filled with something from her family's convenience store, and Hawkmon standing beside her.

"Hi T.K., I heard you had a long day, so Hawkmon and I decided to bring up some ice cream for you two." Yolei explained with a smile.

"Oh, great, thank you! Come on in." T.K. replied, opening the door wider and inviting them in. Yolei and Hawkmon obligingly entered the apartment, catching a glimpse of Patamon's curious but pleased glance from the couch.

"What you got on?" Yolei asked as she took off her shoes, referring to the still-blaring TV.

"Oh, it was cartoons, but now is another documentary on the Digimon appearances." T.K. answered with mild disgust as he closed and locked the door again.

"Ugh, don't they ever get tired of it?!" Yolei exclaimed, crinkling her nose at the thought.

"Apparently not, they keep doing new stuff because they keep **finding **new stuff – all those tapes that were supposed to have been 'unexplainably erased' are coming up with new info and more sensation. Half of the theories involve aliens from outer space, the other half is that its some government project run amok!" T.K. explained in exasperation, looking over at the TV again.

For a minute, everyone was staring transfixed at the TV screen, which was mixing news footage of Digimon attacks with footage from old monster movies as well as something involving "Area 51" (something neither T.K. nor Yolei were very familiar with).

"Absolutely ridiculous!" Hawkmon snapped out, his beak contorted into a scowl. It well summed the mood of the moment.

"Turn it off." Yolei added with annoyance. T.K., of the same mind-set, happily obliged, and the apartment fell silent.

"Where's your mom?" Yolei asked after a few moments of dead silence passed.

"Still working. She's off interviewing nutjobs who think they can get publicity from all this!" T.K. replied, still somewhat annoyed.

"Oh? Really?" Yolei curiously queried.

"Yep, nutjobs who think 'the monsters' come from 'Area 51' or something like that. I don't even know what they're talking about!"

"I saw about 'Area 51' on the Internet. It's supposed to be some place in the American West where they have aliens in stasis in a top-secret government installation. Of course, only a few people take that seriously, most just think it makes good entertainment."

"Entertainment or not, it's still annoying."

"Agreed. Oh, before I forget and it melts in the bag...!" Yolei exclaimed, rummaging in her bag as she spoke, soon pulling out four ice cream bars. Yolei handed one to Hawkmon, who took it with a thank-you.

"Here, catch you two!" Yolei continued, tossing one bar to T.K. and the other to Patamon. T.K. caught his, and Patamon's landed on the couch beside the Digimon, who promptly scooped it up.

"So...what d'ya wanna talk about?" Yolei finished as she opened her ice cream bar and began gnawing on it. The other three present quickly did the same.

"I don't know, I guess..." T.K. began to reply before glimpsing Patamon nibbling at his bar while on his back on the couch.

"HEY, NO EATING ON THE COUCH!" T.K. exclaimed as he rushed over to correct the problem. He attempted to take the ice cream bar away, but Patamon clung on with sheer stubbornness, complaining the whole time, finally forcing T.K. to lift Patamon, ice cream and all, off the couch and "crane" him over to the kitchen table, with a bemused Yolei and Hawkmon following.

Yolei giggled at the scowl Patamon made at being abruptly airlifted and plopped onto a hard table simply because he was enjoying an ice cream bar. T.K. sighed heavily and collapsed into one of the chairs by the kitchen table.

"Be glad he's only like this when ice cream is involved." T.K. wearily explained as Yolei sat down on the other chair by the kitchen table, Hawkmon content with standing beside her.

After that, a minute of relative silence passed as T.K., Yolei and their partners quietly gnawed and nibbled at the ice cream treats. Finally Yolei, sitting casually on the chair with legs crossed, asked T.K. "So, I heard there was something going on for tomorrow, am I right?"

"Yes, everyone who had a Crest is going to go back into the Digital World tomorrow; we're planning to release the other Harmonious Ones and start getting our Crests back." T.K. explained, sitting up in his chair but with elbows on the table, just before taking another bite of his ice cream bar.

"Is that right? That'll be interesting." Yolei replied with mild interest.

"You're telling me! Who knows what tomorrow like, or what will happen, but I know we have been promised the Crests back. With Oikawa guarding things now and the energy barrier the Crests created having been compromised, Gennai and Azulongmon decided that it was better to return the energy to us once the other Harmonious Ones had been freed."

"Well that's cool, but I don't really see why its so important. I mean, Giman isn't **that** big a threat yet, and we still have our DNA and Armor Digivolutions if we need 'em, right? I don't exactly understand what the deal is, why its so important to get those things back if we don't really need 'em..." Yolei trailed off, becoming vaguely uncomfortable with continuing to speak.

T.K. sighed and responded, "You don't understand. It's more than just an 'insurance policy' against Giman. It runs deeper than that."

"What do you mean?" Yolei asked with a confused look as she straightened up in her chair. She took a bite from her ice cream bar while waiting for T.K. to reply.

"OK, let's start from square one: you remember when Izzy told about having to give up the crests to form a protective barrier around the Digital World?"

"Yeah, go on."

"You also remember that he said it meant our Digimon couldn't Digivolve past Champion level, right? That it devastated them?"

"Well sure, but that's life as a DigiDestined; you learn to live with it and move on, right?"

"That's what you'd think, but look from their perspective." T.K. answered, purposely phrasing his words somewhat cryptically.

Yolei took a bite from her bar before looking up in thoughtfulness, trying to picture the situation from a different perspective. She still came up blank though.

"I can understand why it hurts, but I still don't see why so much energy is focused on this." Yolei answered with a shrug.

T.K. sighed and stated "Maybe this would help: Matt told me that while he and Izzy had been searching for their Crests together, he told Izzy that he was searching because he wanted to reach his 'next level'. The Crests weren't just for their benefit, it was for ours too."

"I don't see how that relates to the Digimon though."

"That's because the improvements aren't just on the outside. Being better, faster, stronger isn't the whole story behind the Crests, it's about learning more about what they truly are, what potential they can reach. Even if its never reached, the very fact that it is possible benefits things enormously. I think both Patamon and Gatomon illustrate this effectively."

Yolei flashed him a skeptical glance, then looked over at Patamon, happily nibbling away at an ice-cream bar. For all his cuteness, you wouldn't have had a clue of the power his higher forms possessed, as she was reminded by the battle to save one of the Destiny Stones where his Ultimate form almost defeated BlackWarGreymon by himself.

And Gatomon, if anything else, was an even more striking example. Her Ultimate form represented not just the freedom that had been bought at the price of her best friend's death, but a reminder of what she truly was, a refutation of every lie Myotismon had told and a mockery of his power. To be denied that would not only be removing that reminder but leave a feeling of hitting a ceiling in a form that carried much baggage, both of mind and of soul.

Yolei's look slowly changed from that of doubt and confusion to a slow realization of T.K.'s perspective. He was right, more right than perhaps was comfortable for her to admit. It wasn't just for the good of the team, it was for the good of the individuals that composed it.

"Do you get it yet?" T.K. asked with a broad smile. Yolei flushed, unwilling to speak.

"That's OK, everyone makes mistakes. No one has to know if you don't want them to know it." T.K. continued reassuringly. Yolei chuckled quietly, the best "thank-you" she could muster at a moment's notice in her state of embarrassment.

"So... how do we help?" Yolei managed to get out after a minute of awkward silence.

"Keep fighting and never forget what you've learned." T.K. replied through a broad smile...

"'Keep fighting and never forget what you've learned.'... You know, that isn't a bad way to live as a DigiDestined..." Yolei thought, trailing off into introspection as she finished her ice-cream bar...

**Yolei is "on board", but what about others? Find out in Part 5, "IM Update"!**


	5. Part 5: IM Update

**Tapestry Part 5: IM Update**

Date and Time (New York Eastern): February 16th, 2004 10:30 am

On the Hope and Light Network provided by AIM...

**miminyfash: **Izzy? U there??

**IzumiK: **Yes, did u get email?

**miminyfash: **Yep, was going 2 ask u about it now

**miminyfash: **Must b quick, between classes

**miminyfash: **Do not understand what is going on

**IzumiK: **Getting Crests tomorrow

**miminyfash: **?!? wfahofjuew;l

**IzumiK: **Eh?

**miminyfash: **Sry Palmon is watching got excited

**miminyfash: **She has trouble typing :P

**IzumiK: **XD

**miminyfash: **Anyways

**miminyfash:** I don't understand exactly what's happening

**IzumiK**: Go to Digital World first thing tomorrow morning your time

**IzumiK:** We'll work together to release other Harmonious Ones

**IzumiK:** I'll explain more when you arrive

**miminyfash:** Whoa wait, how long will this take?

**miminyfash: **Don't want 2 miss school 4 day

**IzumiK:** Not long hopefully

**IzumiK:** Gennai gave us the locations where the seals are

**IzumiK:** And Imperialdramon will be around to get us there fast ;)

**IzumiK:** You just do the rest

**miminyfash:** OK but what about Ken?

**miminyfash:** Won't they get pissed if he's around?

**IzumiK: **Oikawa did sealing, not him

**IzumiK:** But he will b low profile anyways

**IzumiK:** As a precaution ^^

**miminyfash:** Fair 'nough

**miminyfash:** Just find things hard 2 believe

**IzumiK:** I know

**IzumiK:** All Digimon r excited

**IzumiK:** Even Tentomon

**IzumiK:** And u know how he rarely gets excited over ANYTHING. :D

**miminyfash:** That's true :)

**IzumiK:** Hmm, now he's giving me funny look think he's watching me type. ^^;

**miminyfash:** lol

**IzumiK:** All right, just b sure 2 b there!

**miminyfash:** Will do

**IzumiK:** All right, do u have enough time 2 give update?

**miminyfash: **Yep

**miminyfash:** Endigomon has become hit zoo attraction

**miminyfash: **Willis is ambivalent about it

**IzumiK: **I imagine so. :)

**miminyfash:** Yep

**miminyfash:** Police caught men supplying Ankokuwa thieves

**miminyfash:** Data definitely in Tokyo area according to them

**IzumiK:** Well that doesn't do us any good

**IzumiK:** Giman's HQ moved just over the city line

**IzumiK:** into area already controlled by yakuza

**IzumiK:** Good luck trying to break in

**miminyfash: **Y can't u guys just storm the area?

**IzumiK: **Too risky Digimon might get captured

**IzumiK: **Besides we don't want to reinforce perceptions

**IzumiK: **of out-of-control monsters terrorizing the city

**IzumiK:** Not worth effort moment

**miminyfash: **So you're just going to let him keep that data?!

**miminyfash: **That's dangerous!

**IzumiK: **His operations have been disrupted

**IzumiK: **May not be able 2 use data 4 long time if at all

**IzumiK: **By then, we can contain his efforts and b strong enough to take him down

**miminyfash:** I hope u r right for all our sakes

**miminyfash:** We've been allowed access to emergency upgrades

**miminyfash:** in case things get out of hand

**IzumiK: **Meaning...?

**miminyfash:** If needed, energy to make ALL Digimon in NYC area to Mega

**miminyfash:** will be provided

**IzumiK: **Srsly?

**miminyfash: **That's the message I got from Gennai

**IzumiK:**What 'bout Willis and u?

**miminyfash:** It applies to BOTH of his Digimon, but Palmon was exempted

**miminyfash: **until my Crest got restored

**miminyfash: **It was another reason your message surprised me

**IzumiK: **OK how 'bout your networking project?

**miminyfash:** It's been tough

**miminyfash:** Most of the contacts only have email

**miminyfash:** and sporadic access to Internet

**miminyfash:** Thankfully u guys over there were good at getting info. :D

**miminyfash:** Should have everyone cataloged and organized soon.

**IzumiK:** All right anything else I should know?

**miminyfash:** I've already mentioned the media-crush around Endigomon

**miminyfash:** but the rest of us r getting some too

**miminyfash:** esp. w/ongoing case

**miminyfash:** Might get mentioned on "America's Most Wanted"

**IzumiK: **Goodness!

**IzumiK: **We've been trying 2 keep low profile over here

**IzumiK: **but media no help

**IzumiK: **and Joe's brother got "publicity" plans :/

**miminyfash: **?!? Is he nuts?

**IzumiK: **He thinks we can introduce at college in more controlled environment

**miminyfash: **And u r going along w/this?!

**IzumiK: **Compared 2 waiting 4 something 2 go wrong

**IzumiK:** and having reputation take certain hit yes

**miminyfash: **(sigh) Next time u see him tell him that he'd better know

**miminyfash: **what he's doing!

**IzumiK:** Don't worry I will :)

**miminyfash: **All right I got 2 get 2 class now

**miminyfash:** C u later! ^^

**IzumiK:** Don't forget, Digital World 1st thing tomorrow your time!

**miminyfash: **I won't! C u bye!

**IzumiK: **Bye Mimi!

(End log file...)


	6. Part 6: The Big Day

**Part 6: The Big Day**

Date: February 16th, 2004, Early morning (Japan Time)

Location: The Digital World...

"First stop!" Imperialdramon stated, coming to halt near a small stone temple, roughly similar in design to the Mayan pyramids. Azulongmon and Gennai were nearby, having been patiently waiting for the DigiDestined to arrive. On Imperialdramon's back was a large group of humans and Digimon, mostly older members of the DigiDestined along with a few of the newer ones that had been invited along. Disembarking at this stop were T.K., Kari, Patamon and Gatomon along with Takashi (who's partner had recently Digivolved to a Tokomon) and Keiko (who similarly had her partner Digivolve to a Nyaromon). Once the designated group had disembarked, Imperialdramon took off again with a great whoosh of air and was quickly gone over the horizon.

"Wow, fast!" was all Keiko could manage to say.

"Great, isn't it? Now come on, the place is just ahead. See, there's Gennai and Azulongmon just ahead!" T.K. explained.

Walking toward the structure, both of the older DigiDestined commented on the newer guys having their partners Digivolve. "Well, it was kinda weird. It was just a few days ago, and he just started glowing and turned into this pig with teeth. I was glad it was when nobody else but me was around." Takashi answered T.K.

"I am not a pig!" the Tokomon complained, which caused the others to burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Takashi asked in confusion.

"Never mind, I'll explain later. What about the teeth?" T.K. asked.

"Oh, yeah, those teeth... It's fine as long as he doesn't yawn or anything like that. I think it would scare my parents silly if they knew." Takashi replied through a smirk.

"So they haven't seen yet?"

"They know he's changed, for the better according to them, but not about the teeth."

"Good. Try to keep it that way." T.K. replied with amusement, causing Patamon (resting on his head) to glare down and shove T.K.'s hat down over his eyes, which caused everyone to laugh.

"And what about you, Keiko? What happened with you?" Kari asked when the laughter subsided.

"Well, it was pretty much the same story as him, though my parents freaked a little when they first saw her after the change. I'll think they'll get used it after a while, though." Keiko replied, petting her partner affectionately before continuing with "I was expecting to get the same as your partner though."

Kari chuckled and answered "That'll take a while, but it's worth it.", looking down at Gatomon as she spoke.

The small talk quickly ceased as the group approached the structure. On Gennai's advice, Takashi, Keiko and their partners stayed behind while T.K., Patamon, Kari and Gatomon started up the short set of stairs to the top of the structure.

"I am glad you could make it so quickly. At the top there are two slots for your Digivices to fit into, place them in screen-side up." Azulongmon explained in his booming voice.

"Um, sure, I guess..." T.K. said to himself as he and Kari reached the top and walked toward an oblong block just ahead. Both he and Kari could see that on top of the block, located at about chest height, was two slots side-by-side, each one with a symbol over it.

"Hey, those symbols look like our Crests! Maybe that's to know which slot to put it in?" Kari suggested. T.K. shrugged, not seeing anything wrong with her assessment.

They turned to look back down at Takashi, Keiko and Gennai, all smiling back up at them, before taking a deep breath and setting the D-3's in the slots, T.K. putting his in the slot with the symbol of the Crest of Hope over it and Kari putting hers in the slot with the symbol of the Crest of Light over it.

T.K. and Kari took a step back and watched. The D-3's shook in their slots and turned monochrome colors, T.K.'s a light green and Kari's a light pink, before shooting up pulses of light skyward. The group looked up and saw the thin-cloud cover overhead part, revealing a swirl of colors similar to the film on a soap bubble. Above where the group was standing, two large spots of color, one light green and one pink, emerged from the swirling mass and began to spread across the sky.

"The energy of your Crests is being gathered back together over this site. It was supposed to be the trigger to release me from the prison had not your actions provided another way out. It will take a while for all of it to come to this spot." Azulongmon explained.

"What can we do until then?" T.K. asked.

"You must wait here, you have no other option if you want your Crests back."

* * *

"Second stop!" Imperialdramon stated as he again came to a stop, somewhere in the western section of the Digital World. Getting off was Matt, Sora, Noriko and Hiroshi, each with their respective Digimon partners, Noriko now having a Tsunomon partner and Hiroshi a Yokomon partner.

As the disembarked group walked away from the drop-off point, they were surprised to meet...

"Andromon? What are you doing here?" Matt asked with great surprise.

"I was assigned by Gennai to escort you to the site. Follow me." the cyborg Digimon replied with his usual mechanical precision. The group, not wanting to be unappreciative of the help, obeyed the order.

Just like the first group, they conversed amongst themselves about the recent Digivolution of the younger kids' partners. Matt was the first to speak, asking Noriko about her partner.

"Well, he's gotten feistier, that's for sure. My mom says he's charming, my dad said he liked him better before he changed. At least they didn't see it happening." Noriko replied.

"That's good. For anyone not familiar, it **will **be a bit of a freak out." Matt stated.

"And he didn't get as big as your partner, I thought he might do that..."

"Hey, I am not fat, you know!" Gabumon piped up indignantly, causing the rest of the group to start laughing.

When the laughter subsided, Sora took up the conversation, asking Hiroshi about his partner. He pretended not to hear, trying to seem like he was fascinated by Andromon but his blushing cheeks betrayed his desire just to not talk about his partner, who just gave cute staring smiles as Hiroshi carried her.

"Hey, I asked you a question." Sora repeated, nudging Hiroshi slightly. He looked up, mumbled something in response, then stared down at the ground in front of him.

"What's the matter, don't you want to talk?" Sora tried again.

Hiroshi gave a heavy sigh. "This is embarrassing me! I don't want to be carrying around a talking plant all day! Why couldn't I have gotten something cooler instead?" he complained.

"I am not a plant!" the Yokomon piped up.

"You'll get used to it, eventually." Sora conceded, which was met by Hiroshi muttering things under his breath and then blushing again.

Before the conversation could pick up again, Andromon called a halt in front of what looked like an Egyptian pyramid, only it had steps running up one side to a top that had been lopped off and with a small table sitting on the flat part at the top. He said Matt and Sora were to climb the stairs while he stayed with the others. Matt and Sora went up with their partners and stopped at the table.

Judging from the markings on its top, Matt put his Digivice into the slot labeled with the Crest of Friendship and Sora's in with the Crest of Love. A series of events similar to the ones at the first shrine occurred, with the resulting patches of color being blue and orange.

However, after the patches of color had developed, a large glowing circle suddenly appeared on the far side of the pyramid, and a very large shape began to form, the Harmonious One from the West being released.

"Baihumon." Matt stated, naming the Harmonious One now escaping the prison it was put in. Izzy had once told them about the names of the other Harmonious Ones, but excepting for Azulongmon none of them had been encountered personally (all of them having escaped their first imprisonment following Apocalymon's defeat and resetting of the Digital World), so it was a fair risk they were taking with doing this.

As the group watched, the shape took on the form of a very large tiger, white with purple stripes and a ring of yellow spheres circling its midsection. The front legs had purple armor with Japanese writing, while the back legs had thick black rings. The tail had a spiked black ring near the tip, while a pair of very large fangs extended backwards from the jaw. Like Azulongmon, Baihumon had two pairs of eyes and a head covering, the same kind of design as Azulongmon's but colored purple. Finally, the group noted a ruffed mane of white and purple hair.

Uncertain of what to do, the group watched as Baihumon seemed to split the ground and sky with roars of freedom. He then turned and looked down at Matt and Sora on the top of the small pyramid. "Are you DigiDestined?" the Harmonious One boomed out to them.

After recovering from the shock of the booming voice, Matt managed a shaky "yes, sir".

Thankfully, Baihumon seemed to take Matt at his word. "I have been in prison for far too long. I am grateful for your release, and whatever you have been promised will be granted to you." he said, smiling down at the DigiDestined. The two patches of color shrunk down into bright points and began streaming down into the symbols on the table.

"The Crests will be restored to you in time, usable once again to protect this world. For now, you may take back your devices. My brother in the east calls me, I must meet with him. Farewell, DigiDestined." Baihumon spoke, before seeming to vanish in thin air.

Matt and Sora just stood there, looking at each other in shock and amazement. "The Digital World never ceases to amaze me..." Matt quietly commented.

* * *

"Third stop!"

This time, Izzy, Tentomon, Mimi, Palmon, Yolei and Hawkmon came off before Imperialdramon took off again. Mimi and Palmon both showed signs of tiredness, having stayed up late after being informed of the schedule change that would allow her to come without missing classes.

Yolei, by contrast, was excited by the prospect of seeing Mimi. "I'm **SO** glad to see you again!" she had excitedly commented when they first assembled together, perhaps a little too enthusiastically considering Mimi's modest response, Izzy's blank stare and Hawkmon's query of whether she was feeling alright. Yolei remembered the first time she and Mimi worked together she had had feelings toward her that seemed stronger than friendship, but she couldn't quite place what they were nor how comfortable telling of such feelings to the others would be.

Lost in thought as she walked with Izzy and Mimi, both of the latter conversing quietly with each other, Hawkmon asked her again if she was alright.

"I'm fine Hawkmon, why do you keep asking?" she replied in her usual insistent manner.

"You don't seem like yourself whenever Mimi visits." Hawkmon replied defensively. Yolei opened her mouth in expectation of a quick rejoinder, but closed it again when nothing came to mind.

"Is Hawkmon right? **Do** I act a little strange when Mimi's around?" she thought to herself, again assuming a thoughtful pose. Soon, she supplemented this with small pointing gestures, making lists in head and comparing them using gestures as if they were written on a board in front of her. Izzy and Mimi noticed this, causing them both to stare in confusion. Hawkmon shrugged back at them, leading to a confused look between Izzy and Mimi, then continuing on without further incident.

After a little more walking, the group approached a stepped pyramid-like structure that Izzy called a ziggurat. Standing in front of this structure was a familiar large yellow teddy bear Digimon, greeting them with all smiles.

"Monzaemon!" Palmon exclaimed, her face lighting up in delight.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Tentomon quickly added.

Yolei, snapped out of her thinking, jumped with a gasp upon looking up at the beaming teddy bear face high above her.

"Don't be such a chicken, Yolei. He's here to help us, right?" Hawkmon reproached, causing Yolei to flush a bright pink.

"Correct you are, only hugs I give! I am glad to see old friends again!" he boomed out.

"Well, we're glad to see you, but what are you doing here?" Izzy asked.

"I and a couple other of your friends have been asked to help the released Harmonious Ones in guarding the Trees of Light planted in their areas of the Digital World. This structure is where the one for this section is to be released, but only Izzy and Mimi can go up." Monzaemon explained.

"Well that's... fine with me..." Yolei replied, trailing off as she flushed again. The others just chuckled in response. Shortly thereafter, Izzy, Tentomon, Mimi and Palmon began walking up the stairs on the near side of the structure.

Once at the top, a series of events similar to that at the other two structures played out, resulting in purple and dark pink circles in the sky above them and the outline of Ebonwumon, the Northern Harmonious One, appeared on the opposite side of the structure.

The outline resolved into what was essentially a giant two-headed turtle with an extremely large tree shooting up out of the shell, the tree so wide around it almost looked like it had fused directly to the shell. Around the tree in a ring were a ring of light brown balls similar to Azulongmon's Digicores. The only way to distinguish between the two heads was that one had a headcovering only on the top of the head while the other had the covering all the way down to the jawline.

When the form had fully resolved, each head stretched out as far as it would go, as if it was trying to remove any kinks captivity produced. One of the heads then said "Ah, tis' good to be free at last! You wouldn't believe how confinin' it is in there!"

The other head replied "Oh, I know exactly the feelin'. Prison tends to crink your neck up real good, it does!"

Izzy and Mimi just looked at each other with "Is this for real?" expressions, completely surprised at the result.

"What's da matter? Your DigiDestined, right? Why so surprised?" the first head asked.

"It mus'en be the fact that they were not expectin' two heads." the second head answered.

"Oh aye, that must be throwin' em off. But we're friendly, right?"

"As long as the one that put us in that place isn't around too, yes."

"Talk about schizophrenia..." Izzy whispered to Mimi.

"Eh, you're sayin' somethin' over there?" the first head inquired.

"Oh, uh, we're just glad to help! That's all!" Izzy replied, smiling a cheesy grin quickly joined by Mimi and Palmon (Tentomon being unable to replicate such a grin).

"Ta', that's good! Now I think it's time we get reacquainted with our brothers, it's been too long since we've seen 'em! Fare thee well, DigiDestined!" the first head spoke again, shortly thereafter Ebonwumon vanishing from the site.

"How did he do that?" Mimi asked, almost slackjaw as she stared at where the Harmonious One had been.

"I have no idea. This has got to be **way** high on the scale of weird..." Izzy said with a shrug...

* * *

The fourth and final stop had Tai, Agumon, Joe, Gomamon, Cody and Armadillomon get off, along with the black Agumon, who had insisted on coming along in spite of no obvious reason to be there and Tai humoring him only because he didn't want to send him back to Gennai.

Tai walked with the two Agumon, who were making conversation half-heartedly between the two of them, while Joe and Cody walked separately with their Digimon. Both groups were heading for a large crystal dome that seemed to rise from the ground spanning in front of them.

As they walked, Joe noticed Cody was slumping and slouching, face almost transfixed on his feet. When Joe asked about it, Cody mumbled something Joe couldn't make out and shrugged his shoulders.

"You don't wanna be here?" Joe asked, taking a stab at what Cody had mumbled out. The latter responded with a moaning sigh, a fairly obvious indicator the answer was yes.

"Cody, there's a reason I choose you for this." Joe patiently explained to Cody. "I could've chosen Sato or Mayuma or Hurami or any of the other newer kids to come with me and Tai, but I didn't, and there's a reason why I didn't."

Cody looked sidelong and up toward Joe's face, his attention now fixed on Joe but not willing to make direct eye contact with him.

"I chose you because you still have a role you need to play. We're all in this together, and you can't keep yourself on the sidelines forever. The team still needs you out there." Joe explained through a smile. Cody responded with an ambivalent shrug of his shoulders, leading Joe to believe that Cody would not be easily swayed by his words; maybe he just needed more time...

The pondering was interrupted when Joe heard Tai say something in surprise, then looked in his direction and encountered the imposing figure of SetoLeomon for the first time. Having remembered SaberLeomon, Joe could not help in comparing the two Mega forms for their old friend.

SetoLeomon was certainly a commanding figure, almost as if SaberLeomon had stood on his hind legs instead of walking on all fours, and had wings to fly with folded up flat on his back. But Joe could detect something slightly different in SetoLeomon's expression as compared to the previous Mega form; though still quite fierce and regal, it seemed just the slightest bit softer now, as if the granting of the power of flight had made the old friend just a little bit more majestic and free.

SetoLeomon let a glimmer of a smile break through his stern visage at the surprise of the DigiDestined in front of him, particularly that of Joe. "I can assure you, I was just as surprised to find myself in this form as you are in seeing it now." the Digimon spoke. "Joe, you may remember that before I could not control my switch between the two forms, and I wished it had stuck to my Mega form. The unexpected gift of power has taken me to something even better than what I had been, having flight strong and grand..."

The wings briefly spread open before being partly folded in again. Shaped like Garudamon's but colored slightly differently, the impressive figure of SetoLeomon became even more so. It was easy for the DigiDestined group to imagine how this friend seemed to have landed in a dream, filled with all the power of his former Mega form but also the freedom of flight...

"Come, the area is just ahead. But only the former Crest holders can climb to the top of the dome." SetoLeomon spoke again, setting off with Tai, his Agumon partner, Joe and Gomamon while Cody and Armadillomon stayed behind with the black Agumon. Tai and Joe climbed steps cut in the dome up to the top, and a scene similar to that in the other three areas played out, with the color spots being orange and gray.

A large circle in the ground on the far side of the dome split apart and opened up, and a moment later a huge Digimon, a firey red bird with two pairs of red eyes, a black mane, multiple pairs of wings and a long dragon's tail, zoomed straight out of the hole making a sound that was like a cross between a caw and a roar. Around the neck was a ring of five red orbs and around the tail another five red orbs. This Harmonious One was Zhuqiaomon, responsible for the Southern part of the Digital World.

Zhuqiaomon wheeled a few times in the air, then swooped down and stopped in front of the dome, hovering in place. "You are DigiDestined kind enough to release me?" he curtly asked, adding to the intimidation his looks already gave him. Tai and Joe, words sticking in their throats, nodded in the affirmative.

"I am glad for your effort. If only I knew who imprisoned me and why, I would make sure to make an end of them!" he thundered. Both Tai and Joe were glad that at the moment all potential suspects were either nowhere in the vicinity or permanently unreachable.

"I thank you again for your releasing me, and I must be going now. I hear my brothers calling me from here. Farewell, kind-hearted Digidestined!" he spoke again, and in a moment had faded away.

All was silent for a moment, then Gomamon said "Well, that could've been a LOT worse!". Everyone chuckled in agreement.

* * *

At the four points now, the colored spots began to shrink even further, and the swirling colored effect disappeared from the sky. The respective groups looked up in surprise as the spots shrunk to small bright discs in the sky, then turning into a beam which fired down into the symbols etched on all of the "locks" that had been activated before. The Digivices and D-3s locked in pulsed with a burst of light, then popped out of their slots. All were retrieved by their holders as the beams continued to shine down like laser light on the Crest symbols.

"It is begun. The condensation and stabilization of the Crest energies will take some time to accomplish. In the meantime, all please return to the eastern sector, for there is still one matter in which I can use your assistance." Azulongmon spoke through a mental projection to each group in turn.

* * *

Quickly, Imperialdramon was moving again, picking up and dropping off the scattered groups, who swapped descriptions of the events and speculation as well while waiting for Azulongmon to explain what else they needed to help him with.

After a few minutes, he appeared in a gust of wind, the deep chuckling in his voice indicating his good mood: "Yes, it is most pleasant indeed catching up with old companions after being imprisoned for so long. My fellow Harmonious Ones are now free and back where they should be. As promised, the Crest energies are being condensed and will be returned to you once the collected energies have become stable enough for transport."

"However, there is still one problem left to solve." he continued. "You probably all know by now that certain of your allies were appointed by both Gennai and myself to assist the other Harmonious Ones in their tasks of protecting and maintaining balance in the Digital World. All the positions were filled save for the one that is to assist me. The ShogunGeckomon had been offered the position and turned it down, and there are no other Digimon strong enough to fill this position. Do you know someone that might be able to fulfill these duties?"

The surprised crowd of DigiDestined broke into small groups and began to talk between themselves. Several groups suggested Digitamamon, but each time the proposal was quickly rejected due to recognition he would most likely refuse the position if offered it. Finally, Tai stepped forward and addressed the waiting Azulongmon: "I do not know who we can suggest, perhaps one of us could rotate on a cycle..."

"I WILL DO IT!" the black Agumon suddenly exclaimed, rushing up behind Tai, passing him and bowing in front of Azulongmon "I will volunteer for the job!"

The initial outburst caught the attention of several of the smaller groups, which lead to the interruption of other speculations and soon the whole crowd focusing on the bowing black Agumon. Azulongmon, meanwhile, burst out in a mirthful chuckle of incredulity: "Surely you are jesting with me! You are but a humble Rookie, hardly a worthy candidate for the title!"

The black Agumon looked up at the huge blue dragon Digimon and gulped hard, aware that both him and the crowd of DigiDestined behind him were watching and listening. He slowly began stating his case: "I... I know I am not strong now, but this is what I want to do, with all my heart. I was born with fragmented, confused memories of a powerful... soul-searcher, seeker I had been, and recently I found that I had a mirror of myself. The other Agumon and the Gatomon, they... helped me sort through all that confusion, and now I know that this is what I want to do with my life: be a companion, protector, friend, guardian and assistant. Why should my current state prevent me from doing that?"

Azulongmon had to admit that the black Agumon's case was a fair one, and that no real alternative for the position meant that he had to at least be listened to. The Harmonious One had also considered the possibility that this Digimon was the reborn version of BlackWarGreymon that he had sent on a soul-searching quest before.

"Are you sure you want to commit to this though? Once you are accepted, you will have this position until you are deleted and return to the Primary Village again. The job will be long and dull, and you cannot refuse to help me if the help is needed." Azulongmon mentioned as a warning.

"Absolutely. This is what my heart is telling me to do. I have never been this sure of anything I want to do before." the black Agumon answered, looking back up from his bow with a feeble toothy smile on his face – one of the few that would ever be seen. The DigiDestined murmured amongst themselves as they wondered why the black Agumon was doing what he was doing...

The willingness tipped the balance in favor of acceptance, and when the black Agumon returned to the pose of head-bowed and on one knee, Azulongmon released one of his Digi-Cores. It floated down to the oblivious black Agumon, then spread itself over his body in a blinding flash of light. When the glow subsided, the imposing form of BlackWarGreymon, still kneeing on one knee with head bowed, had taken the place of the confused but well-meaning black Agumon.

A buzz broke out among the DigiDestined at the sight of this, and several rushed out of the crowd toward him: Tai, Kari, Davis, Cody and Ken, with their partners (excepting for Imperialdramon, who just watched from his current location) right behind them.

The returned Mega looked up in surprise at Azulongmon and got to his feet. He alternately traded glances between him, his freshly reminted strength covered in grey and yellow armor, then to the curious DigiDestined crowded around him in curiosity and hope.

This went on for a few moments until a subtle change in the eyes showing through the head armor showed recognition. "I... remember..." he quietly said in a mixture of surprise and relief, the eye position shifting again.

He looked back up at the happy Azulongmon, then at the DigiDestined and Digimon near him in careful analysis. "Yes... I remember... what you all tried to show me..." he finally stated in a kind of bewilderment, surprised by what was happening but sure it was what he should be doing.

At this point, the DigiDestined thought it safe to approach him more closely than they had been, and began offering him congratulations and good wishes and blessings for his stewardship, and slowly but surely the smiling eyes replaced caution and surprise. Finally, the old enemy was a firm friend and, as Agumon affirmed for the others, a great victory for the DigiDestined. The tapestry would now include him as a friend and as a student of the ways of those saving the world...

**The tapestry of our lives is being ever woven with the threads of our experiences, fears, likes, hates, triumphs, tragedies, emotions and logic. Their tapestries, the DigiDestined and their allies, are expanding with each weave. New relationships are forged and current ones are strengthened, but the evil outside still threatens large. What will happen to the DigiDestined next? Find out in the upcoming story, "Bug Spray"!**


End file.
